I found a shop with a traditional bento shop atmosphere. This time, I ordered the miso stir-fried meat and eggplant. I forgot the name of the dish, but it was something like that. They also sold side dishes separately, so I ordered that. There are a lot of eggplants in it. The meat was a bit tough. The quality of the ingredients seemed normal, but the seasoning with miso was well done, so I didn't mind the quality too much. It had a taste that went well with rice. Other vegetables besides eggplant included onions, green peppers, and pasta at the bottom.

It is a shop that has the atmosphere of a traditional bento shop. They offer a wide variety of options and the best part is that they make the bento after you order, so you can enjoy a warm meal. I ordered the "Sakura Bento" for 450 yen including tax. The portion of rice was generous, the pickled plum was large, and there were many side dishes, all for a price in the 400 yen range, which I think is very reasonable. I bought it on a Sunday afternoon and it wasn't crowded, so I was able to purchase it smoothly.

On August 16, 2017, around 12:10 PM, I visited this restaurant for the first time. Lately, I have been eating out for lunch all the time. It's not like my salary will increase just because I'm working during summer vacation. So, I decided to try to reduce my lunch expenses by buying a bento. Although rice balls, sandwiches, or cup noodles would be even cheaper, they lack nutrition. It seems like the restaurant had a decent number of customers, at least 5 or more. I was undecided on what to order, but I ended up choosing one of my favorite dishes, Chicken Nanban (540 yen). They told me it would take a bit of time, but I was okay with waiting. It seemed like some people had made reservations as well. However, it didn't take long, maybe around 10 minutes, for my order to be ready. It was nicely wrapped in paper and looked delicious. My expectations were high. I brought it back to the office and started eating. The chicken was neatly shaped into squares. But as soon as I took a bite, I thought, wait a minute. Something's not right. The chicken was indeed chicken, but the coating was thick. It seemed like they had forcefully shaped the chicken breast and coated it. The coating was also soft. There was a piece of broccoli, two pieces of fried chicken, and spaghetti underneath. It was no different from a cheap convenience store bento. There was also bamboo shoots and pickled string beans. The tartar sauce was tasty though. A bit disappointing. It couldn't even compete with Origin bento. I wonder if there are better options on the menu. Maybe I should just stop going here. Still thinking about it.

When I'm hungry, this is the place that always comes to mind. They make the food after you order, so it's definitely a big difference from pre-made convenience store bento boxes. It's reliably delicious. I've stopped buying convenience store bento boxes because of this place. The taste, portion size, and variety are all solid. Thanks to this place, I've discovered the enjoyment of buying lunch and eating it at work. When a few of us at work want to have lunch together, we call ahead and specify a time for our order, and they always have it ready on time. The photo shows a bowl of rice with a topping and udon noodles. And the fact that it's in the 400 yen range is surprising.

[Additional Note] The weather was nice, so I had a deluxe bento from Hokabe at a nearby park. It had a variety of classic dishes like fried chicken, salmon, and ginger pork. The taste was as expected, consistently delicious. The "Toku Toku Don" bento had menchi katsu, fried chicken, and ginger pork on top, and it was very affordable, with change left over from a single coin. The portion size was decent too, making it a great value. The downside is that it takes a bit of time to prepare after ordering. Overall, I'm satisfied with the delicious taste and generous portion size.

I had a large serving of Chinese rice bowl at a Beijing home-style restaurant, and then I remembered that I had been given homework by a picky eater. I arrived at the restaurant at 2:40 PM. It has a well-worn appearance. The restaurant used to be called Hokaben, but went through some changes and became Hokabee. It's in a similar situation to Gonnin Gon, which is along the Ome Line. Back in my student days, I used to frequent Hokaben in Yanoguchi. I think about half of my body was made up of Hokaben back then. I remember getting free kimchi and fried chicken. That restaurant became Hokabee, moved to the corner of an intersection due to road expansion, and eventually closed down. I hope the manager is doing well... There were no other customers when I arrived. The menu has changed quite a bit since then. I was planning on ordering the seaweed bowl for 290 yen, but with tartar sauce it's 310 yen... Hmm, I'm hesitating. While waiting, two groups of customers arrived. It was completed in 2 minutes. I decided to go to Nakagawara Park to eat. When I picked up the container, it felt quite heavy. But man, the wind is really strong today. The miso pork on rice comes with kinpira burdock and pickled ginger. There's also a small packet of shichimi chili pepper on the side. The leaves were swirling in front of me. Let's dig in. There's quite a lot of pork in this dish. The only other ingredient is onion, but the flavor is well-infused. The miso sauce is just right, not too heavy or too light. The rice is cooked well too. I'm finding myself eating this quickly (smirking). And the pickled ginger goes really well with this dish. Initially, it felt a bit strange, but now it's a perfect match. The kinpira burdock has a light seasoning, nothing special. I added the shichimi halfway through, and the wind blew it all away... As I watched this scene, I remembered a scene from the movie "The Big Lebowski" and chuckled to myself, sitting on a bench in the park, enjoying my pork bowl. I'm full now (actually, this is my second stop, don't judge). The portion of pork is so generous that I think it would be worth getting a large serving of rice too.

★2014・12 Revisited Sunday, even though today is soccer day, I decided to break away from my routine and have a balanced lunch with a "makunouchi bento," and it's the deluxe version! The bento had a generous portion of rice topped with salmon-like trout and umeboshi, side dishes included simmered vegetables, ginger pork, fried chicken, tamagoyaki, ganmo, pasta, small but plump and juicy shrimp tempura, zasai and Shibazuke, all for 670 yen. It was a luxurious and satisfying meal, definitely recommended over Hokka Hokka Tei or Orijin. The town of Nakagawara may seem plain, but it's actually a hidden gem for delicious bento, and perhaps even a gourmet town for fried chicken. (笑) ★2014・1 Revisited I revisited for lunch on a Saturday, this time trying the "sirloin steak bento for 700 yen" with side dishes of menchi and fried chicken. The steak, which I didn't have high expectations for, turned out to be tender and delicious, comparable to the steak bento from "Hotto Motto." The rice was also good this time. The highlight of the restaurant is the fried chicken, priced at 70 yen per piece, and it was also delicious with a crispy coating. My review and expectations have definitely improved from last time. Next time, I might try combining the hamburger, ginger pork, and fried chicken. (笑) ★Crossing Sekido Bridge and passing Nakagawara Station, you will find the restaurant. It's always crowded, but today there was no line! Taking this opportunity, I visited for the first time and ordered the "DX bento for 600 yen" from the many menu options. While waiting in the car, more customers started to arrive. The popularity of the restaurant indicates that the food must be delicious, raising my expectations. After a wait, the bento was ready, and I bought tea from the vending machine to go with it. The side dishes included thinly sliced salmon (trout), shrimp tempura, fried chicken, ginger pork, simmered vegetables, tamagoyaki, pasta, Western-style ganmo, kombu tsukudani, Shibazuke, and more, truly a deluxe bento. However, the issue was with the rice, which even someone like me who isn't picky about rice could tell was not good. The rice was dry and lacked sweetness or flavor, a disappointing experience for a popular restaurant. (ノД`)...

I tried a 540 yen Italian chicken steak bento and I really liked it. I didn't have a good impression of bento shops before because they often had small portions and unnecessary salty pickles, so I never really went to them. However, I decided to try one during a stamp rally in the shopping street. I thought it would be like a typical fast food bento, but the quality was actually better than other chain stores. The chicken steak was juicy, tender, and thick, and the rice was not just thrown in, but packed tightly. It was filling enough. I personally think the salty pickles and umeboshi are unnecessary, but overall it felt like a good deal, so I would like to try other 500 yen menus. Having the case in plain white reduces waste and is a nice touch.

About a 2-minute walk from Keio Line Nakagawara Station. Head straight towards Seiseki Sakuragaoka. The yellow sign is the landmark for this bento shop that I've been going to since I was a child. There is no eat-in option. The exterior looks exactly the same as before. The menu has changed a bit. I used to like the fried rice, but it's no longer available. I had the Salt Fried Chicken Bento for 500 yen including tax. I realized I forgot to take a photo after I had finished eating everything, what a shame! The bento comes in two packs, one for rice and the other for side dishes. The large pieces of fried chicken, salad, pickles, and the simple yet delicious taste that hasn't changed since the old days! You can also purchase the fried chicken separately. During lunchtime, there are lots of office workers so it may take some time before you get your order. Thank you for the meal.

There is a bento shop located about a 5-minute walk from Nakagawara Station. It's known for being cheap and the portions are decent. Many people seem to order the "Tokutoku Don" (great deal bowl). They have a wide variety of bento options, making it great for everyday use.